FORT SNELLING UPPER POST |
Headquarters clock tower
Photo by Mark Gustafson |
Fort Snelling Upper Post Photography Exhibit
by Mark Gustafson
Mr. Gustafson's photo exhibit pays tribute
to the Fort Snelling Upper Post, recently named by the National Trust for
Historic Preservation as one of "America's 11 Most Endangered Places." This
project is supported in part by an Access Grant from IFP Minnesota.
IFP Minnesota Center for Media Arts
February 1 to March 29, 2007
Historic Fort Snelling Visitor Center
May 5 to September 23, 2007 Visit the Fort Snelling web site for additional details. National Preservation Conference
October 2 - 7, 2007 Visit the National Trust for Historical Preservation's web site for additional details. Hennepin County Government Center
November 3 - 24, 2008 Hennepin County Commisioner Peter McLaughlin has asked the photographer to display the photos at the Hennepin County Government Center. Hennepin Gallery, Hennepin County Government Center
The Hennepin Gallery is free and open to the public Monday through Friday, 7:30 AM to 6 PM. See www.hennepin.us for more information on the exhibit. An exhibit opening event will be held Wednesday, November 5 from 4:00 - 7:00 PM, with guest speakers at 5:30. Scheduled speakers include Peter McLaughlin, Hennepin County Commissioner, and Bonnie McDonald, Executive Director of the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota. They will give updates on preservation and redevelopment plans for the Upper Post. Light refreshments will be served. Comments from the photographer:
I began visiting the Upper
Post area in January 2006 and was struck by this unique collection of historic
military buildings that was decaying before my eyes. Standing among the empty
buildings now, it's hard to imagine that several hundred thousand members of
the armed forces passed through these doors to serve our country. Over the
few short months that I visited the Upper Post, the Quartermaster's Shops
(Building #63) has largely collapsed and appears beyond hope.
While photographing the Headquarters Building clock tower, I saw that the clock hands were frozen at "half past midnight," a sign that we are well past the eleventh hour for saving these structures. My exhibit is a selection of 20 images from the over 300 that I took in the course of many visits to the area in 2006, with both black & white darkroom prints and color images represented. Most of the views are exterior, but I was able to gain access to four buildings and have some interior views as well. Contact:
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